Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer has been urgently hospitalized after suffering a severe beating at Mar Verde prison in Santiago de Cuba, where he has been held since July 11, 2021. This information was disclosed by a political prisoner at Boniato prison on the afternoon of November 19. Ferrer, who represents the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) and serves as the president of the Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba (CTDC), was transferred to the hospital within the Boniato penal complex immediately following the incident.
Ana Belkis Ferrer García, Ferrer's sister, raised alarms about the situation through social media, demanding proof of life from the regime. "We hold them accountable for his physical and psychological well-being," she wrote. The CTDC condemned the assault, describing it as part of a pattern of systematic violence within Cuban prisons. The organization stressed that "nothing in the prison regulations authorizes prison officers to perpetually inflict physical punishment," reiterating that the Cuban government bears responsibility for Ferrer's safety.
Background of José Daniel Ferrer's Imprisonment
Ferrer was apprehended on July 11, 2021, as he attempted to join widespread protests erupting in multiple cities across the island. His arrest occurred amidst a backdrop of political repression, following a previous conviction during the 2003 Black Spring, for which he served several years in prison.
International Call for Action
The CTDC is urging the international community to take immediate action in condemning the abuse and violence faced by political prisoners in Cuba. This call to action comes on the heels of another incident, where a 27-year-old inmate died following a violent assault by seven officers in a Cuban prison last week.